


Learning to fly again

by blank_ghost



Series: S=K log W [3]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (2012), Thor (2011)
Genre: Bugatti Veyron, Loki Feels, M/M, Tony Fixes things, Tony is a BAMF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-19
Updated: 2012-09-19
Packaged: 2017-11-14 14:08:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/516032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blank_ghost/pseuds/blank_ghost
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"To know what? That you could show me for a second what I once had? That… that your toys can replicate power in some ways? That… that… I didn't feel like I was dying, Stark. For a moment in this miserable existence, I didn't feel like I was dying." … "I needed to know if you could fly."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Learning to fly again

  
    Tony Stark fixes broken things…    
  
  
    Tapping his light pin against the edge of the table he runs through the schematics in his head.   
  
    “Jarvis, bring up were the reactor is going to fit in. Splinter that view please.” He watches the minimized arc reactor, dragging it apart even further with his hands as he leans back against the table, propping his elbows against it.  
  
    “Power output on that is going to be the same right?”  
  
    “From this configurations sir, yes.”  
  
    Tony hums softly in acceptance; with a wave of his hands he collapses the schematics back on itself till the suit is standing at attention one ninth the scale of actual size. Spinning it about for a moment. Tinkering. Stalling as his mind rattles through possibilities for last minute design changes.   
  
    “Run that through a diagnostic check.”   
  
    “Yes sir. Afterwards, would you like me to put it through to construction?”  
  
    It’s a good design. Damn good. His best one yet. Weapons system is different, lighter, flexibility is improved in key areas, but he won’t know the extent of it till he gets her in the air.   
  
    “How long will that take?”  
  
    “Approximately twelve hour’s sir.”   
  
    He nods, picking up his scotch and drinking down the last dredges left by the ice with a grimace, the forgotten drink more dishwater than alcohol.   
  
    “Yeah. Do that for me, babe. Don’t forget the paint job.” He says, lifting to his feet and collapsing down the interface schematics with his palm before heading across the lab to the little kitchenette off to the side. Gathering his Tupperware container of wheat grass mix, orange juice and mixer together, searching for a plug and trying not to burn himself on the soldering iron he left on near the sink.  
  
    “Sir. I do hate to disturb you but there’s a call in from Mr. Rogers on the communication lines.”  
  
    Breathing out a sigh he pinches his nose for a moment. “Yeah. Let me hear him.”  
  
    “Tony.”  
  
    “Sup, Spangle Butt?”  
  
    “Spa- Tony now isn’t the time. We’ve got a problem up on the roof.”   
  
    Tony arches an eyebrow and lifts his eyes up to the ceiling like he can see all the way through to the issue. “And?”   
  
    Please don’t be…   
  
    “He’s on the ledge again.”   
  
    Fuck.  
  
    Groaning he nods his head and starts in the direction of the elevator, grabbing his jacket off the back of his chair as he passes.  
  
    “I’m going up.”   
  
  
    Two months ago, they’d had a package dumped in their laps. About six feet four, hundred fifty pounds soaking wet, Thor’s little adopted brother.   
  
    Loki, not so much of Asgard, more of Jotunheim. More officially now of Midgard.   
  
    Apparently as recompense for his deeds he’d been stripped of his powers as a god and magic before being dropped of into the New Mexican desert like Thor had.  
  
    No big brother to protect him when Shield had come and picked him up.   
  
    It wasn’t Odin’s brightest plan in Tony’s opinion; by the time Shield had defined him a non threat and turned him over to the Avengers to deal with the ex god was a mess with a capital M.   
  
    It had nearly wiped the team out when Fury had dropped off the tortured man like a bag of dirty laundry, even Clint who had personal reasons more than the rest of them to hate Loki, had wanted to beat the shit out of the world for it.   
  
    It’s hard to feel like an American hero when you know your own organization tortures people nearly to death.   
  
  
    The first time Loki had found his way to the roof they’d all spent three hours up with him, trying to stop the man from jumping only to fail. He‘d leapt. Tony had caught him thanks to the suit. He really hopes it doesn’t come to that again even as he fixes the tracking bracelets onto his wrists.  
  
    “Hey Cap. Stay back here okay. I’ve got it.” He says, patting his hand against Steve’s chest as he passes, coming off the elevator into the afternoon sunlight. Striding across the loose gravel and piping to lean against an air duct. His eyes on Loki’s back as he teeters at the edge.   
  
    “You got to stop doing this.” Tony sighs, shoving his sunglasses on and slowly walking up to Loki’s side. Staying a respectful few feet away.  
  
    “Whole reason for this is so it will stop.” Loki says his voice so soft it nearly gets eaten away by the wind this high up. His hair blowing into his face as he turns his head to the side to look to Tony.   
    Tony can’t help but nod at that. He’s a piss poor negotiator. Stroking his hands through his hair with a sigh, messing it up even more than it normally is.   
  
    Glancing over as Loki shifts his weight to his toes and leans into the wind a little, his eyes closed for a private moment, the wind pushing against his clothes and hair like a million tiny hands trying to hold him up. He looks peaceful for that second and Tony tense, ready to leap after him.   
  
    There’s no jump though as the ex-god slowly lowers back onto flat feet with a broken sound escaping his throat.  
  
    When Loki opens his eyes slowly, the tears there make the ocean green depths as clear as the sky.   
    “It gets better. From here on out. Life as a human, it gets better.” Tony says softly, feeling like a total ass because life as a human can’t get much worse than what Loki’s been forced through already.   
  
    “I can feel this body dying.”   
  
    Reaching out slowly Tony grabs for the ex-gods shaking hand. If he jumps he’ll drag Tony down with him, he’s just too close to the ledge now to stop their fall but he can’t let go. Won’t let go.  
  
    “It’s not like that. Not everyone is like them. Not everyone is” evil “going to get you.” Loki’s fingers tremble in his grasp, lax for a moment before holding tight. He can hear the shift of gravel behind him, Steve or Banner maybe.   
  
    “I feel so weak; a babe has more strength than I, more life.”  
  
    “You can feel alive again. This isn’t the way.”   
  
    Loki closes off from him, no longer looking over, no longer acknowledging Tony by his side at all. His washed out eyes tracking the street so far below, Tony wonders what he see’s there, if he’s seeing this at all.  
  
    “I want to take you somewhere. Show you something. Will you step away from the ledge for a moment and let me show you something?” He asks, meeting Loki’s eyes for a fleeting moment.  
  
    “What?” Loki asks slowly like he’s actually considering it, calculating. There’s a brilliant mind in all that mess if only Tony can get to it.   
  
    “It’s going to take me a little while to get it together, make a few calls, we’ll take a flight out to the Salt Flats. If you don’t like it, I’ll give you the gun to shoot yourself with myself.” He can hear the gasps behind him, the murmurs of displeasure. He’s a betting man and he’s willing to lay down a life on this one because really, if it doesn’t work, Loki will still in the end find a way to kill himself.  
  
    “Vow?”  
  
    “On Steve’s mother.” He says with a grin, giving Loki’s hand a squeeze. “Come on, let’s get a drink.”   
  
  
  
  
  
O0o.  
  
  
  
  
    It had taken twenty four hours to get everything together in all the right areas, a cargo shipment and a flight out to Utah for two, denying the teams want to go with them just to see what kind of plan Tony had.   
  
    His gamble was over 4 thousand pounds and with a price tag of one million two hundred fifty thousand.   
  
    Pulling into the flats they come up to the semi unloading the cargo. She’s sleek and black in the blazing sun a perfect creation if Tony’s ever seen one.   
  
    “You’ve never driven it once Tony? I didn’t even know you had one.” Happy asks glancing into the review mirror for a second.   
  
    “I’ve never had a need to.”  He sighs, adjusting his sunglasses to cut the glare from the sun and the salt. His eyes tracking the crew unloading the Bugatti Veyron with care as the circle around to park out of the way.  
  
    Its timing had been bad. Her delivery had coincided with his disappearance in Afghanistan. She’d gone into storage, he’d gone insane. By the time he’d come back and cleared his head enough to drive her the lure was gone, he’d had the suit.   
  
    He glances to Loki who for most if the three hour drive has spent his time with his dark head against the tinted window watching the world travel by, that lost look in his eyes. He’s sitting up now as he watches what their pulling up to.   
  
    Tony’s little black diamond.  
  
    “And you’re going to let him drive it?”  
  
    “Yup.” Tony swears he can hear Happy say something along the lines of ‘lucky bastard’ under his breath but makes no comment of it as they come to a stop. Getting out of the limo and crossing his arms over the top, watching silently as Loki walks slowly to the Bugatti. Boots crunching in the salt as the ex-god approaches the super car. Both long and black and sleek. They go well together.   
  
    A splash of oil on the blazing white flats, not a blemish but a black hole. Something to be respected.  
  
    “Is it your design?” Loki asks, his voice soft in the empty void of the salt flats, glancing up from the stream line car to Tony as he approaches.   
  
    “A little. Hartmut Warkuss had me in for a few design ideas when they were still on the drawing board for her. Nothing big though. Honestly I don’t think I could have built her better if I tried.” He admits, stroking his hand down the fender before popping open the driver door.  “Come on, get in.”  
  
    The look Loki shoots him is wide eyed, his shoulder length hair blowing with a bit of wind that picks up salt at their feet. “What?”  
  
    “Get in. You’re driving her.”  
  
    “I have never driven a car before.”  
  
    “She’s not a car, she’s perfection. Get in.” Tony says, looking at him over the top of his sunglasses as he taps his index finger against the open door’s seal.   
  
    Loki stands hesitant for a moment before dropping into the seat, Tony shows him how to adjust it to accommodate for his long legs before coming around to the passenger side.   
  
    “Buckle up.” He says, fixing the four point harness over his chest and watching to make sure the ex god does the same. There’s little to hit out here but spinouts at the flats aren’t uncommon at all. Not that the Bugatti should have a problem, at over 4 tons she’s heavy enough to not slide on the salt.   
  
    “Push that button there.” He says, pointing at the starter after Loki’s settled in. He engine is whisper quiet considering all the power locked under the hood. Loki’s hands tense a little on the steering wheel, the feel of the car getting to him a bit. There’s a little thrill in his eyes that Tony had almost thought was dead. Like that old cocky bastard that demanded the world to kneel to him is waking up slowly from a long sleep.   
  
    Tony loves every second of it.  
  
    He reaches out to the dash and flicks the switch himself and the beast whirls and settles.   
  
    “The fin in the back drops down, it reduces the drag.”   
  
    Loki nods slowly, looking to Happy standing by the limo and the rear view screen displaying the small crew standing by the transport truck before his eyes settle on the stretch of open flat land in front of them.   
  
    “What do I do?” the ex-deity asks. Swallowing back the shake in his whisper.  
  
    Tony spends a moment going through the gears between them and the basics; “right is gas, left is break. She’s an automatic so she’ll shift for you. From here on out. Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war.”   
  
    The tilt of Loki’s lips in a smile is incredible considering no ones seen one from him in two months.   
  
    He’s afraid that Loki’s going to ease her out for a moment as they sit in silence listening to the soft purr of the engine. That his bet is off, that he’s going to have to hand over a shiny nice gun. The last piece of Stark weaponry he’ll ever be able to handle.   
  
    Another person he’s failed and killed.  
  
    The lead weight in his gut turns to jelly as Loki slams down onto the gas and in a spray of salt they spend just under three seconds going to sixty. The force pushing them back in the bucket seats.   
  
    Loki’s knuckles are white till they start pass a hundred mph, the tension slipping from him as the salt flats blur and the Bugatti eats up the ground like a hungry monster.   
  
    She needs a three mile straight to get to full speed and the salt flats give Loki plenty of room to stretch his legs.   
  
    Tony risks a glance over, the thrill kicking his own adrenalin up and his heart is racing next to the socket wall of the arc. He knows he’s won his gamble when as the needle flirts with 240, Loki closes his eyes, takes his hands off the wheel and lets the Veyron rocket them to max speed.   
  
    At full speed she roars across the salt flats like a black rocket at 256 mph, burning through the tank of gas in just under twelve minutes. Leaving them coasting to a slow stop way away from where Happy and the crew are set up.   
  
    Loki is breathing hard, the pants filling the car as his breath turns to strangled sobs.   
  
    “Why… gods above Stark. Why did you bring me here? Why did you do this?” He says as he turns his sorrowful eyes to him for a moment before looking back to the unmoving flats before them again.   
  
    “I needed to know.”  
  
    “To know what? That you could show me for a second what I once had? That… that your toys can replicate power in some ways? That… that… I didn’t feel like I was dying, Stark. For a moment in this miserable existence, I didn’t feel like I was dying.”  
  
    Tony exhales softly, watching the crew bring the loading truck up to them, Happy following behind in the limo.  
  
    “I needed to know if you could fly.”   
  
    “Why would you do that?” Loki hisses. He should be a little proud of himself; he’s gotten more emotion from the man in the last hour than the whole team did in two months. Loki looks like he’s going to reach across the polished aluminum and leather cab to strangle him for a moment but stops himself. Shaking his head Loki unbuckles quickly and gets out of the sports car, striding to the approaching limo.  
  
    “You’ve proven your point Stark, you’ve shown me exactly what this body is; a cheap copy of life. That… machine, as magnificent as it is, only last a moment though, what is that through a whole life? That can not sustain someone such as me.”  
  
    “That was nothing. That was a test drive.” Tony argues back, jogging after him under the arid sun, the salt a prominent taste in his mouth.   
  
    “A test drive to what Stark?” Loki rounds on him his voice rising, his eyes burning bright in the sun and white. “To what?”  
  
    Tony nods his head, turning away from Loki and walking over to the transport vehicle. Not waiting for Loki to follow as he jabs into the type pad, entering his twelve digit number. The side panels opening up with a hiss of pressurized air.   
  
    “That’s what.” He snaps, grabbing the suitcase from the front compartment and pulling out the revolver. Holding it out to Loki with a frown. “Go on. Take it. Take the gun or the suit.”  
  
    Live or die.   
  
    Loki stands stock still in the heat, his aqua eyes unreadable as they stair up into the open compartment at the two Iron Man suits. One’s Tony’s. One’s not. Designed for someone who’s taller, sleeker, black with hints of green and golden bronze.   
  
    The ex gods throat bobs as he swallows, eyes slowly lowering back down to Tony.   
  
    “I told you, I needed to know if you could fly. It’s obvious you can. I think you can handle what that can give you. Can you Loki? Can you handle it?” He asks softly, his voice hard though, no room for bullshit. Thrusting his hand out so the gun dangles from his fingers, gleaming deadly and cold in the sunlight.   
  
    Loki nods slowly, his eyes bright like they were so very long ago, shining with tears and life. His hand shaking a little as he pushes the gun down to Tony’s side.   
  
    “It flies?”   
  
    “Fuck yeah.”    
  
    “Faster than the car?”  
  
    Tony chuckles, the bubble of emotion nearly a giggle and nods, his grin nothing but sin. “It makes the Bugatti look slow.”   
  
    Loki’s eyes return to the suits once more, the smile that turns just the corners of his mouth up is small but shines with hope.   
  
    “What do I do?”  
  
  
  
  
  
    Tony Stark knows how to fix broken things because he was once broken.   
  
    He knows that sometimes when all you want to do is throw yourself off a roof and fly till your body gives out on the ground below, you just need to invent something that prevents you from hitting the ground.

 

**Author's Note:**

> as always... all thanks go to Becky my beta!


End file.
